The rise of the multiplayer survival games

[Taak Farst]

Survival games have been a thing for a good few years now, with things like Minecraft and Don't Starve coming to mind. Games where you must focus on hunger, defending yourself, and other such things. But now, something newer is happening; players. Having to trust other players, kill other players, steal, co-operate etc in order to survive in a desolate world. DayZ and Rust are two of the most prominent that come to mind.

 

Multiplayer Survival games do seem, in my opinion, at least on PC, to be coming into fashion. What are YOUR thoughts? Any favourites? Particular dislikes? Shoot.

[Sabretooth]

I've played DayZ a year ago, and it was nice. The explosion of survival games, as I see it is scratching a long-extant itch, much like isometric RPGs, puzzle platformers and space shooters, which we're seeing coming out of the woodwork now.

 

They don't really do much for me, to be honest, as much as I like them in theory. The chief problem I see with DayZ and Rust is that 'survival' is just one way to look at it. By and large, they are deathmatches, except some people are not trying to 'win'. It's a genre I feel is still 'in progress'.

[DuckfromPortal]

I like these kinds of games, I recently played nether and enjoyed the experience

[HED]

I like the idea, but I think I'd have to play with a team of friends to really enjoy one.

[Quanon]

Hah, me and my cousin started a Minecraft server before the game had it's big break through. So at first it was just 2 guys running about and digging. Me like a mole on heroine speed crack, making impossible bending tunnels and stairs.

 

My cousin followed awhole method of grids, to dig as optimale as possible. Hilarious stuff, going on. Later on more friends picked up the game and populated the server.

 

I can say it was always exciting to log on and see what was new. I didn't keep playing though at some point I had enough. But I don't consider it wasted hours.

 

It's just great to share a world among friends!

[igyman]

I was talking about one of these games just a couple of days ago with a friend - I forget the name of the game (it might have been Rust) - in any case, the conclusion of that conversation is that these MMO survival games are, at the very least, an interesting social experiment.

It's interesting that players in these games don't tend to worry too much about killing zombies, or whatever monsters are lurking out there, but instead tend to kill each other so they could steal the other person's stuff and whatnot. A rather disturbing way of thinking, if you ask me, that in a world where monsters are out to get you, you go out of your way to kill other humans, instead of banding together and helping each other.

 

I know I went in a bit too serious a direction here, but I though this might be interesting to mention.

[Sith Sizzle]

I was talking about one of these games just a couple of days ago with a friend - I forget the name of the game (it might have been Rust) - in any case, the conclusion of that conversation is that these MMO survival games are, at the very least, an interesting social experiment.

It's interesting that players in these games don't tend to worry too much about killing zombies, or whatever monsters are lurking out there, but instead tend to kill each other so they could steal the other person's stuff and whatnot. A rather disturbing way of thinking, if you ask me, that in a world where monsters are out to get you, you go out of your way to kill other humans, instead of banding together and helping each other.

 

I know I went in a bit too serious a direction here, but I though this might be interesting to mention.

I agree, although that is what makes those games feel all the more real. Minecraft, DayZ, 7 Days to Die, and Rust are some that I can think of. And I believe Rust is like DayZ except without zombies. It's more about surviving in the wilderness and protecting yourself from wild animals and enemy players.

[Taak Farst]

Hah, me and my cousin started a Minecraft server before the game had it's big break through. So at first it was just 2 guys running about and digging. Me like a mole on heroine speed crack, making impossible bending tunnels and stairs.

 

My cousin followed awhole method of grids, to dig as optimale as possible. Hilarious stuff, going on. Later on more friends picked up the game and populated the server.

 

I can say it was always exciting to log on and see what was new. I didn't keep playing though at some point I had enough. But I don't consider it wasted hours.

 

It's just great to share a world among friends!

 

I think there is such a thing as TOO many friends in those situations. For me, when more of my friends started to buy it, there was always one that said "hey...hey guys, wouldn't it be funny if we blew up his/her awesome creation."

[Quanon]

I think there is such a thing as TOO many friends in those situations. For me, when more of my friends started to buy it, there was always one that said "hey...hey guys, wouldn't it be funny if we blew up his/her awesome creation."

 

Yeah, we did have few pranks with amongst our group. But all of us, still saw minecraft as a game. It never caused big fights our a fall out between people of our group. Plus our private server had problems now and then. We ended up with huge holes in our terrain. Everything just dissapeared into nothing. So we all losed certain things we've had build or gathered.

 

Just like in real life: we had to deal with it and carry on.